Browning Strike Force Extreme

Browning Strike Force Extreme Review

Model #BTC-5HDX  |  Strike Force Extreme Owner's Manual

Strike Force Extreme FAQ's

The Strike Force Extreme is a really good red glow trail camera. It takes good pictures, is fast, and has good battery life. For the money, we believe the Browning Pro models offer more value for just a few bucks more. - TCP Staff

Trailcampro Comprehensive Score:

86/100

Pros

• Good image quality
• 10.5-month battery life
• Outstanding detection circuit
• Solid case design and reliability

Cons

• Max of 20-second night videos
• Incorrect temperature readings

Trailcampro Analysis

Picture Quality:  83/100

Photo resolution: 16 mpxl (interpolated)

Video resolution:  1280 x 720

Flash Type:  Red glow IR

The daytime pictures are really good, but a step behind the Browning Pro and Advantage models. We do believe there is a slight improvement to the color daytime images from previous Strike Force sub-micro cameras (850, Elite, and HD models). Outside of that, the pictures are clear and well focused.

Night images are very solid. We see high contrast photos and good illumination. You should be please with the night photos from a Strike Force Extreme.

Video quality mimics picture quality. It is good, but for the best video resolution, you should look at the Browning Advantage cameras.

We have seen a few cameras that display out of focus edges on the far left and right of the video. Not a big issue, but something we have noticed.

What if you purchase from us and aren't happy with the image quality?

This is a common question and we have a very simple solution. Call, email, or chat with us and we can take a look at the images and offer suggestions or immediately tell if something is wrong with the camera. If so, we will warranty the camera for you (with the free 2-Year warranty you receive from us) or return the camera for a full refund (within 90 days of purchase). You have control of the process, remember, we work for you.

Megapixel Ratings:

In the past, many people get confused with the megapixel rating trail camera manufacturers advertise.  Companies inflate the mpxl rating to attract eyes to their products.  They do this through interpolation, which digitally adds megapixels to a photo without actually improving the picture.

The best way to judge picture quality is to look at actual pictures.  You will notice this the most when you zoom in on a full-size image that a camera has taken.  The details of the photo will appear hazy or even digitized.  This is normal, and to be expected.

Battery Life: 80/100

Picture & Video Resting Power (on):   0.23 mW

Picture Daytime/Nighttime Power Consumption:   3.2 Ws |  3.6 Ws

Video Daytime/Nighttime Power Consumption:  16.1 Ws | 56.4 Ws

Picture Mode

If this camera were to take 35-day and 35-night pictures every 24 hours, the Strike Force Extreme would last 10.5 months in the field on a set of 6 AA Lithium Batteries. This is excellent battery life.

Video Mode

If this camera were to take 15-day and 15-night videos (10-second videos) every 24 hours, it would last 2.4 months in the field on a set of lithium batteries. This is respectable battery life for video mode.

Detection Circuit:     95/100

Picture Trigger & Recovery Speed: 0.36 s. / 0.6 s.

Video Trigger & Recovery Speed:  0.55 s. / 1.1 s.

Detection Range & Angle:  100 ft. (maximum) | 46.9° (42.7° F.O.V.)

This category doesn't need much explaining, the Strike Force Extreme is flat-out impressive in this category. Fast picture detection, fast video detection, and long detection range. There are no holes in this circuit. 

Quality of Design:     85/100

Dimensions: 4.75" x 4" x 3"

Battery Type:  6 AA Batteries

External Battery Jack:  12-Volt

Case Design

The Strike Force case design stayed the same in 2018. This is one of the smaller game cameras on the market, making it easy to conceal in a variety of ways. The camera feels sturdy and stable. The latch remains a touch close to the camera, making it somewhat difficult to unlatch with cold fingers.

There is a python bracket on the back of the Strike Force Extreme for a Python Cable Lock. It also has the standard 1/4" x 20 threaded insert on the bottom for a Slate River Angle Mount.

Temperature ratings the camera records have a tendency of being unreliable and off by a significant margin.

Camera Setup

Camera setup is familiar and easy to navigate. Click "Mode" to enter the menu, tap "Up" or "Down" to toggle settings, hit enter to highlight a setting, change the desired setting with the up or down arrow, and then hit enter to save that setting. Very simple.

The Strike Force Extreme accepts up to 512 Gig SD Cards. That allows for tons of memory storage and most useful if placing the camera in video mode for long periods of time.

SD Card Storage Examples

With a 16 Gig SD card and the camera taking 4 mpxl photos (this is our recommended setting as it is closest to the native resolution), the Strike Force Extreme could store 9,304 pictures on the SD card.

With a 16 Gig SD card and the camera taking 1280x720 videos (called "Ultra" video quality in the settings), the Strike Force could store 258 10-second videos.

From this data, you can extrapolate out storage capacities of different sized SD cards and different resolution settings. We give you a 16 Gig SD card with the purchase of this camera through us. If you need additional or larger SD cards, you can shop all SD card options here.

Durability

We have no concerns over durability, if anything arises, we will immediately update this review. The only thing we see on a regular basis is incorrect temperature readings. We see this on all 2018 Browning cameras, so if this is a big concern for you, we would recommend a different brand as they all tend to be inaccurate.

Through our 2-year warranty program on the trail cameras we sell, we are able to track warranty rates on all trailcam manufacturers. We do not publish this data but Browning trail cameras have proven to be a durable camera for us.

Browning Strike Force Extreme Review Conclusion:     86/100

On its own, the Strike Force Extreme is a really good camera. Our problem is Browning has too many cameras this year and it confuses the heck out of us (and probably you too). So many of the cameras overlap and don't truly fill a need. Take this camera, for example. The Strike Force Extreme is a really good camera in nearly every category, but for $20 more you can have the Strike Force Pro, which is an outstanding camera in every category. Do we recommend this camera? Of course. Is it worth spending $20 more for significant upgrades in picture quality, battery life, and an internal viewer? In our opinion, it absolutely is.

Enjoy our reviews?  Please consider purchasing your next trail camera from us.

FAQ's: Trail Camera

Q: How do I view the pictures?

A: There are a number of ways to do this. Pictures/videos are stored on the SD card you place in the camera.

• View pictures on your computer. Plug the SD card in a desktop computer or laptop via the built-in SD card reader or use a USB reader if your computer doesn't have one. This method works for most tablets as well. With this method, we recommend having two SD cards per camera so you can swap them in the field.
• View pictures on your smartphone. Choose between the iOS Reader for iPhones and the Android Reader. Phone readers require an app to access the photos, you can read more about these via the previous links.
• Trail Camera Viewers. While more expensive, handheld viewers are useful if you don't have a smartphone or run multiple trail cameras. 

Q: Will this trail camera trigger on small animals (birds, rodents, etc.)?

A: Trail cameras detect on a combination of heat and movement, so, yes, small mammals will trigger the camera. However, if you are going after smaller warm-blooded mammals, we recommend getting the camera closer to your target. For best performance, place the camera in an area that would enable picture detection from 3 - 20 ft.

Q: Can animals see the infrared flash on this camera?

A: Yes. This is a red glow trail cameras, meaning it has a faint red glow when taking pictures or videos at night. Humans and animals can see this if looking at the camera. This does not "light up" the woods, though.

Q: Where can I purchase this camera?

A: From us! We hope to woo you with our incredible charm, two-year warranty, 90-day returns, free continental U.S. shipping, and technical expertise. If that isn't enough, we give you an 8 Gig SD card with this camera and you can call and talk our ear off anytime. 

Seriously, though, we know you have plenty of options of where to spend your hard-earned money. The internet can be the wild, wild, west of too-good-to-be-true deals. If you choose to do business with us, we will go out of our way to make sure you are happy with the camera you select and the service we provide you.

We are passionate about testing and reviewing trail cameras, but most importantly, we are passionate about treating our customers the right way. We do things differently from what you have come to expect from other internet retailers and we hope you give us the opportunity to prove that to you.

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